For those of us at work without video/Flash ... what's on it?posted by krinklyfig at 12:20 PM on August 3, 2007

Pay attention kids: this is why drug testing is a huge issue for all workers, not just drug users. I'm often shocked at professional people who don't play the lottery and would never bet the horses, but are happy to piss in a cup for a test each month, never realizing what 99% accuracy means statistically...posted by vorfeed at 12:26 PM on August 3, 2007 [1 favorite]

This was interesting until the dude went into his "real soaps" sales pitch. Evidently, Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap is actually magic because they can make it without those nasty "chemical compounds."posted by rxrfrx at 1:36 PM on August 3, 2007

Here's what happened:

Strange lookin dude gets arrested for GHB possession based on a field test kit returning positive.

Soap manufacturer springs the dude, pays for legal defense.

Turns out field test kit triggers on almost all soaps.

Peasant rejoice.

Soap maker releases youtubery about the process/soap.

Arrested dude still looks strange, not cured by prison or the man.

Soap maker still makin soap.
---
The interesting thing is that the soap maker paid for the legal defense, sure there's some promotional value but it's pretty rare that something like this happens.posted by iamabot at 1:51 PM on August 3, 2007 [1 favorite]

Evidently, Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap is actually magic because they can make it without those nasty "chemical compounds."

The secret ingredient is Insanity.

Peace To All The Loving All-Father-God-Being! Cleanse The Body And The Soul! Use As Toothpaste! Flavoring! Fertilizer!posted by spiderwire at 1:53 PM on August 3, 2007

Is this why hippies don't use soap?posted by inigo2 at 1:59 PM on August 3, 2007

I'm often shocked at professional people who don't play the lottery and would never bet the horses, but are happy to piss in a cup for a test each month,

Really? Monthly tests? Most professionals I know took one test pre-employment, and then never again.posted by smackfu at 4:22 PM on August 3, 2007

Really? Monthly tests? Most professionals I know took one test pre-employment, and then never again.

It depends on the job. Some do it randomly every X months.posted by vorfeed at 4:31 PM on August 3, 2007

I almost created my first FPP about this subject last weekend! I found one of the linked videos directly via Dr. Bronner's excellent website.

I'm one of those types of people with a deep and genuine disdain for hippies, and I venerate things like Kevlar, cyclamates, nanotubes, and Space Food Sticks. My quest for clean hands started off with Lava soap, then on to Boraxo, then liquid hand soaps with pumice. A gearhead friend of mine suggested I try Dr. Bronners. Besides the hippie overtones, the packaging simply screamed "woo". Nevertheless, I trusted my friend's judgement in the clean hand domain, and I tried the peppermint liquid soap.

Wow! This stuff was outstanding! It fulfills my fundamental criterion of soap, that it leave one's skin "squeaky clean". It does this to a "T", and with no need of pumice or other abrasives, which can remain on the skin as a gritty residue. It is arguably the best hand soap on the market, period.

I shave my head as well as my face, and Dr. Bronner's can be used as a superb razor lubricant. In my opinion it is superior to virtually all commercial shaving creams and gels.

Yeah, the text is nonsense by a crazy man, and I suspect that it unwittingly keeps their soap in a sort of niche market, but I'm telling you, simply ignore the weird vibe of the text and try this stuff!

Now I buy it by the gallon.

As far as Don Bolles goes, he should sue the pants off the manufacturer of the obviously defective field drug assay.posted by Tube at 4:46 PM on August 3, 2007

Thanks, iamabot.

Tubewrites"I'm one of those types of people with a deep and genuine disdain for hippies"

Dr. Bronner was not a hippie. Although, honestly, the popularity of his soap owes a lot to the hippie movement, but also those who identify as born-again. He was a bit eccentric, but who else could make such a soap?posted by krinklyfig at 4:53 PM on August 3, 2007

Dr. Bronner was not a hippie.

Yeah, you're right. He was kind of like Bucky Fuller, one part genius, one part crank, and embraced by hippies, though not one himself.posted by Tube at 5:02 PM on August 3, 2007

I lub dat soap. Used it as a body wash in the shower a very wakie- wakie morning
/not-a-hippieposted by thekorruptor at 5:13 PM on August 3, 2007

i guess i should have posted this myself, i was there. at about a minute into the youtube video, i'm in the red shirt and jeans. here's a photo of us doing some initial testing at the dr. bronner's factory. here's the link to the video and info on the dr. bronner's site.

not to get on a soapbox (sorry) but i do want to say a couple things about dr. bronner's and dave bronner in particular. they are 100% the real deal as far as being committed to social, environmental and basically every kind of justice. dave is one of the awesomest people you could ever meet and he is 100% genuine. the entire family is a bunch of kick ass people, for serious and they run their company with an amazing level of integrity. if you're anywhere near san diego, go visit.

dave does pursue publicity when he thinks it can educate people and further what he believes are good causes. case in point, he does want people to understand the difference between actual natural soap and synthetic detergents masquerading as soap. i think that's a good thing to raise awareness about, and i think he's pretty fair. if you watch the video, when tom's of maine soap is actually soap he gives them props for that, even though they're owned by colgate.

anyhow, the company is really cool if you want to dig in and learn more about them. they're committed to natural products, real standards for organic products, fair trade, legalizing industrial hemp, treating their employees fairly and giving back to the community they live in, in both a local and a global sense.

99% of the time, skepticism is warranted when it comes to companies and the content they produce. dr. bronner's is the real deal, though. peppermint blue? in this case, i'm down with that.posted by snofoam at 5:46 PM on August 3, 2007 [4 favorites]

oh, and it's totally great soap, too!posted by snofoam at 5:46 PM on August 3, 2007

i guess i should have posted this myself, i was there. at about a minute into the youtube video, i'm in the red shirt and jeans. here's a photo of us doing some initial testing at the dr. bronner's factory. here's the link to the video and info on the dr. bronner's site.

If you'd posted the video yourself you'd be a self-linker and could be banned for it.

Also, you have the same camera that I do, a Canon SD450. Heh.posted by delmoi at 6:30 PM on August 3, 2007

And the Germs were the best hardcore band until Bad Brains.posted by Joseph Gurl at 6:52 PM on August 3, 2007

Not to turn this into a soap commerical but if you've never actually used "soap", give it a try sometime. 99% of what you think of as "soap" is actually "detergent" and they are different substances entirely. I'm not an expert on the subject but the practical difference to me is that real soap, such as the Bronner's castile soaps, have the perceived sensation of dissolving dirt and grime while detergents just try to lift the dirt.posted by well_balanced at 8:21 PM on August 3, 2007

I bought my first bottle of Dr. Bronners just because I read the label at a local co-op, it was so amazing I figured I should try it out and see if it would turn me into a raving lunatic from association.

I was pleasantly surprised to find out that it's really a great soap, so I keep buying it. I would love if they changed the labels every so often, but since the good Doctor passed some time ago I suppose that's not going to happen.posted by Talanvor at 9:30 PM on August 3, 2007

I would love if they changed the labels every so often, but since the good Doctor passed some time ago I suppose that's not going to happen.

Doc Bonner makes other than peppermint, or I'd never be able to use the stuff.

Funny to me though, it was perfectly apparent the first time I used Doc Bonner's, it was the same soap in the dispensers in grade school (early 60s). Instant memory rush.posted by Goofyy at 3:53 AM on August 4, 2007

It still stings, but you get used to it after a few tries.posted by nevercalm at 8:22 AM on August 6, 2007

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